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DfT/NW/ROADS/006/2008 19 June
2008
£7 MILLION CYCLING BOOST FOR
CYCLING IN THE NORTH WEST
Three towns in the North West have been awarded Cycling Demonstration Town Status and more than £7 million in Government funding Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced today.
Over the next three years the
Department will invest:
The three towns have ambitious
plans for cycling including in Blackpool new opportunities to cycle being
created for residents and visitors. Chester will designate new cycling routes
and double the number of cycling trips from four to eight per cent. Southport
aims for an average of 15 per cent of high school pupils cycling to school.
Local partners will match the
Department’s contribution to create record levels of investment in cycling and
help make it a more viable travel option.
The schemes will boost the numbers cycling to school and work as well as for pleasure.
Ruth Kelly said:
"I
am delighted to appoint Blackpool, Chester and Southport as new Cycling
Demonstration Towns. I am sure that their innovative and exciting plans will
support cyclists and encourage more people to get on their bikes, get fit and
beat the traffic. "A quarter of
journeys made every day by car are less than two miles. Cycling is an
alternative that could bring real health benefits to millions of adults and
children, as well as helping them save money and beat congestion.
"The
first step in persuading people to leave their cars at home is to offer them a
real choice. Providing a step change in
cycling facilities, dedicated cycle lanes, more training and information will
have a big impact on how people choose to travel.
"Blackpool,
Chester and Southport are leading the
way in the North West region, I hope that many more will follow their excellent
example."
Representatives of the three
towns welcomed today’s news. Blackpool Councillor Don Clapham said: “It is
great to see we are being recognised for the work we have done already to
encourage cycling and that we are being supported to be ambitious in bringing
new facilities to the area.
Cheshire County Councillor
executive member for Highways and Transportation Eveleigh Moore-Dutton said:
“The announcement is extremely exciting and is a real boost for cycling in
Chester. The funding will be spent on a variety of projects which will include
cycle training for children and adults as well as the promotion and marketing
of cycling routes in the city.”
Chester City Council executive
member for Environment Councillor Jill Houlbrook said: “I am delighted that the
bid has been successful. This is just the impetus we need to support and
encourage cycling in Chester.”
Cllr John
Fairclough, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Technical Services, said:
"This is absolutely fantastic news for Southport and Ainsdale - and the
thousands of residents and visitors who are set to benefit.
The UK's first Cycling City was
named as Bristol today, with ambitious plans to double the number of people
cycling. A further ten Cycling Demonstration Towns have also been confirmed
who, along with Blackpool, Chester and Southport and the six existing towns,
will receive funding of nearly £50 million in the run-up to 2011.
These towns are Blackpool, Cambridge,
Chester, Colchester, Leighton/Linslade, Shrewsbury, Southend on Sea, Southport
with Ainsdale, Stoke, Woking and York.
Earlier this year the Department
for Transport invested an unprecedented £140 million in cycling. This included
increasing the provision of Bikeability training to help half a million
children cycle safely by 2012; create the UK's first-ever Cycling City and
appoint further Cycling Demonstration Towns and build 250 new Safe Links to
School.
Notes to Editors
1.
For further information about the schemes please contact Barbara Aird at
Blackpool Council on – 01253 477190, Mike McGiveron at Chester City Council on 01244 402362and Chris Hannaway at Sefton Council on 0151-394
4166.
. 2. Applicants were chosen from a shortlist of 19 local authorities, out of an original 74 bids. Panel members were Philip Darnton (Chair of Cycling England); John Grimshaw (Cycling England Board member and founder of Sustrans); Lynn Sloman (Cycling England Board member and Director of Transport for Quality of Life); Tony Russell (leads Cycling England local authority advice team); Steve Garidis (Cycling England’s Programme Manager) and Martin Ellis (Cycling Team, Department for Transport)
3.
There are currently six Cycling Demonstration
4.
Towns. These are Aylesbury,
Brighton, Darlington, Derby, Exeter and Lancaster. Further details of these
schemes, and applicants for this year, can be seen at http://www.cyclingengland.co.uk
5.
Cycling England is the national body co-ordinating the development of
cycling across England. It was launched by the Minister for Local Transport in
March 2005, replacing the previous National Cycling Strategy Board, and is
supported by a number of Government Departments, including health, education,
planning and sport as well as transport.
6.
Bikeability is a new training standard designed to provide children with
the on-road skills they need to handle modern traffic conditions. It was
launched in March 2007. See http://www.bikeability.org.uk
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE
DEPARTMENT FOR TRANSPORT BY
COI NEWS AND PR
Press
releases from the Department for Transport can be viewed http://nds.coi.gov.uk
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